Back On The Mat In Arlington/Provence Retreat

I think I have quite a few blog posts in me about the yoga retreat and the trip home from France, but I'm going to jump ahead in blog time to yesterday, when I went back to Tranquil Space Arlington after a week of glorious yoga in the mountains of Provence.

While in Provence, we practiced yoga twice daily and each day my absolute favorite thing was practicing outside on the deck at the Villa, Le Foulon.  

We would begin the day with the sun shining down on us, perfect temperatures, a lovely breeze and the sounds of birds chirping and the river flowing gently by.  A little gecko would often hang around at the back of my mat--which made me nervous until I realized that he had no interest in coming on my mat and therefore the chances of me squishing him were minimal.  When we practiced sun salutations, we were actually saluting the sun--I would raise my arms, look up at my thumbs and see the sky.  It was truly outstanding.  Of course since we were traveling, I also got in the habit of practicing without props--no blanket for my knees, no block for balancing. Kimberly would begin each practice by asking about our energy level--and we would joke about mine was always pretty high.  On the last day I said, "I'm a 10!" and everyone said, "You're always a 10."  It was kind of true--I was always excited for our practice.

Yesterday I walked into the studio, rolled out my mat and settled in.  Then I remembered that I like to have some props nearby, so I got them.  I definitely was not feeling "10" with the jet lag, but it was good to be back on the mat.  Immediately, I missed the camaraderie our retreat group had developed--I didn't realize how much I enjoyed practicing in such an intimate space with friends.  The energy we developed during our practices was unique, encouraging, and fun--not something you find in a class full of people who are generally unknown to each other.  I missed the sight of the sky when I looked up, the feel of the breeze on my arms, and being reminded by Kimberly that we are "in Provence."  I did not, however, miss the flies.  Man, were we invaded by flies towards the end of the week.

I dedicated my practice yesterday to all my fellow retreaters--wishing you safe travels home and thanking you once again for sharing your energy with me.